"My husband and I took a beautiful Sunday drive from Monterey to a longtime favorite destination over the past 30 years, the Carmel Valley Ranch Resort. We dined at their Valley Kitchen off at this great hotel set in a gorgeous setting, overlooking the swimming pool and patio. We both wanted to have an egg dish at lunch today at 2:30 pm as we were a bit late for their Breakfast hours. The Lunch menu had many tempting choices and the item we both selected was the Valley Kitchen’s Swing Omelet. This amazingly delicious and very unique omelet features Sauteed Shrimp, Smoked Bacon, Monterey Jack Cheese, Spinach, Mushroom, Avocado Aioli, Pico de Gallo plus a choice of toast and a choice of salad, fruit or country potatoes. Service was attentive and we were very well cared for by our server, Alex, who has worked there for several years. It was my husband’s birthday recently, so after lunch, we stopped off at their ice cream sundae bar served in their Gift Store which was fun and creative. We sat outside on their front patio and enjoyed the ice cream adorned with a number of colorful sweet toppings, from chocolate to caramel sauce, Oreo cookies, mini-m and m’s and more. We noted that the Valley Kitchen also has a great menu for Breakfast with lots of unique and traditional favorites. For both Lunch and Dinner, the Valley Kitchen also has a terrific menu, and we plan to come back and try some of their sandwiches on their Lunch menu which includes Hot Pastrami, Grilled Chicken, CVR Burger, Smash burger, and a Rancho Caprese Sandwich. They also have three types of Tacos and many interesting Salads too plus a Hummus and Harvest plate we’d love to try. The dinner menu looks great and includes light fare such as Seared Cabbage, Swank ranch salad, Burrata and Stone Fruit, Scallops, Beet Salad, Scallops and more. For main entrees they have Sweet Corn, Crab and Shrimp risotto, Lobster Paccheri Pasta, Salmon, Alaskan Halibut, 14-ounce Niman Ranch ribeye, Citrus Half Chicken, Duck Garganelli Pasta, Bourbon and Rum Braised Short Ribs and a 16-ounce Bone-In Pork Chop. Can’t wait to come back soon and try some of these items from their talented chefs. We have stayed at the hotel in the past and it truly is a wonderful family-friendly luxurious well-run sanctuary in the middle of Carmel Valley, with lots of places to relax and overlook their vineyard, golf course, majestic oak trees with lacy lichen, and the great mountains of the nearby Ventana Wilderness. The resort summarizes, “From tasty s’mores to tasteful suites, playful activities to artisan treats, Carmel Valley Ranch is a 500-acre oasis focused on fun.” Check it out!"
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